Drs. Cohen and Levitt Recognized
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Orlando October 2004
A successful 'women's track' included a plenary session by Dr. May Cohen and symposium on challenges for women in family medicine.
The ‘women’s track’ at Wonca on Wednesday heard a story about stone soup. The story goes that a woman came to a village and the people were hungry and she said that she could help them make a soup that could nourish them. She produced a stone, which she put into a pot of boiling water and asked what other women could bring to the pot. An elderly woman brought a carrot (the rich history of women contributing to maternal and child health care in Canada). Another brought an onion (women have promoted an enriched career with humane working conditions in the United Kingdom). A young lady brought a potato (innovations in rural training and office daycare in Alaska). There was one who brought some parsnip (a gender awareness studies program with an emphasis on rural women’s needs in medical schools in Australia). A longhaired woman brought some salt (teaching family doctors about reproductive choice and treatment options available through their offices in the USA) and a gray haired woman brought some fresh herbs (women challenged to promote diversity and gender issues in the new South Africa). Some beans were added by a tall woman (women balance parenting and professional lives in Europe and Holland). Mysterious flavoring was added by the village midwife (a whole sub-continent of South America bringing a diversity of women’s experiences). Finally, a woman from far away added some rare chilies to the soup (special initiatives by women to improve sexual and reproductive health care in South East Asia). All these women brought only one ingredient but together the contributions made a delicious, rich soup.
This metaphor sums up the impact of Dr. May Cohen’s plenary and the women’s symposium on The Challenges for Women in Family Medicine: Making a difference around the world, attended by about 50 women.
Together with the pre-conference, the shared experiences and networks established at WONCA, Orlando 2004 will provide the WWPWFM with a firm and nourishing basis for its expanded program of activities over the next three years.
WWPWFM Symposium
This metaphor sums up the impact of Dr. May Cohen’s plenary and the women’s symposium on The Challenges for Women in Family Medicine: Making a difference around the world, attended by about 50 women.
Together with the pre-conference, the shared experiences and networks established at WONCA, Orlando 2004 will provide the WWPWFM with a firm and nourishing basis for its expanded program of activities over the next three years.
WWPWFM Symposium
Challenges for Women in Family Medicine: Making a difference around the world! Monday, October 11th, Tuesday, October 12th